History VideoGame / BuffyTheVampireSlayer

There are many Buffy video games. You may be looking for:

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[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_Coverart_2624.png]]
[[caption-width-right:256:If you ever wanted to be Buffy, [[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne now's your chance]].]]

A video game for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} was released in 2002, featuring all the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' cast save Creator/SarahMichelleGellar, taking place between the third season episodes "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E7Revelations Revelations]]" and "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E8LoversWalk Lover's Walk]]" (the gang knows Angel's back, but Xander and Cordelia are still together). It centers on yet another bid to revive The Master, with Spike being forced to help because Dru is held hostage. It was followed by a sequel, ''[[VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayerChaosBleeds Chaos Bleeds]]'', which has slain foes BackFromTheDead as Ethan Rayne challenges The First Evil to a contest, using The Scoobies as his champions in a bid to become a chaotic god.

!!Between the two games we find the following tropes.

* AdaptationalBadass: While the Master was never a wimp, in the first game, he has suddenly gained such powers as {{teleportation}} and [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]].
* AlternateUniverse: The First sends the heroes to one.
* AlwaysWantedToSayThat: Willow gets the chance to say "Aye aye, captain".
* BackFromTheDead: The main plot of the first game is to do this with The Master, and the second game has numerous antagonists pull this.
* BadassNormal: Xander is easily as capable fighter as Buffy, Faith or Spike.
* BookEnds: The central villains of the two games are respectively the key antagonists from the show's first and final seasons: the Master in the first game, and the First Evil in ''Chaos Bleeds''.
* BorrowedCatchphrase: In the alternate dimension Buffy has to find the other playable characters. Turns out Faith is chilling in a bank vault waiting to be rescued, and will use Willow's "Bored now" as Buffy does so. In ''this'' instance there's no ominous foreshadowing, fight or FlayingAlive, Faith just wants out.
* BreakableWeapons: Most weapons have limited durability. Wooden weapons can be broken down into stakes, and stakes will eventually break as well.
* BuffySpeak: Naturally, in regards to crystals.
--> "A sparkly thingy, to add to my collection of sparkly thingies".
* CallBack[=/=]CallForward: Loads and loads of them, from Spike flipping the V at Angel to Xander's love spell to Buffy freaking at the idea her mother will be [[CameBackWrong raised from the dead]] to Faith borrowing Willow's ''bored now'' CatchPhrase. When Cordelia goes on about Angel being evil Angel will address this, commenting on shouldering the crimes he had committed and trying to work towards redemption. This would be shown in greater detail when the two characters become the leads in Angel's show. Part of Spike's HeelFaceTurn is also due to him being as against the game's BigBad's plans as he was against Angelus unleashing Acathla to destroy the world.
* ContinuityNod:
** Xander makes fun of Drusilla having the hots for him. Spike angrily replies it was due to the love spell he created when he wanted to get back at Cordelia in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayreS2E16BewitchedBotheredAndBewildered Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered]]".
** When Angel becomes involved all the Scoobies question whether he might go evil again. When The Master possesses him they discuss trying to restore Angel, or the possibility Buffy might have to kill him.
** When Spike makes his appearance Buffy is furious he went back on the deal they had in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E22BecomingPartII Becoming]]".
** One of Buffy's one-liners is [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E12ProphecyGirl Oh look, a bad guy]]".
* CreatorCameo: Creator/JossWhedon is an unlockable multiplayer character in the second game.
* DemonicPossession: The demons Spike works for does this to Dru to force his cooperation, and The Master takes control of Angel as a host. The {{Wangst}} over the idea that Buffy might kill him is surprisingly toned down.
* EldritchAbomination: Laibach of the Abyss.
* EliteMooks: Common garden variety vampires are surprisingly dangerous when compared to demons.
* EnemyChatter: And thanks to the limited voice samples it can get real old real fast. A quick application of pine to a vampire's chest however will mean you only have to hear Buffy yap.
* EnemyMine: Spike finally gets fed up with working for the vamps trying to bring back The Master and turns to the Scoobies to offer aid in exchange for releasing Dru.
* EvilTwin: Buffy has to fight one in the first game, and Anya, Tara and Ripper become this in the second.
* GargleBlaster: The mother of them all: Faith finds hellfire vials (think Molotov cocktails) and muses about drinking it like beer.
* GiantMook: Giant vampires who hit like a truck. [[GoodBadBugs Forget about going into the inventory during their killing move]], after knocking Buffy down they can crush her under their boot in a second.
* GiantSpider: Come in two sizes. The small ones are bigger than the ones in Australia, the larger ones are as big as Buffy.
* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: The beginning of the game has Giles put Buffy through basic training.
* HollywoodTorches: Buffy can carry a torch to illuminate her surroundings in dark areas as well as burn through spider webs, and [[KillItWithFire light enemies on fire]].
* ImprovisedWeapon: Most of the weapons you'll find are these.
** BatterUp
** BroomstickQuarterstaff
** ShovelStrike
* LockedDoor: Found in abundance. Doesn't make a lot of sense since one of Buffy's powers is SuperStrength and the doors don't appear particularly strong. There are, however, some doors here and there that ''can'' be kicked down.
* OpeningNarration: The first video game expands on the one given above, retaining Giles as a narrator:
-->In a time when the world was young and demons ran unfettered across the face of the earth. [[{{Retcon}} The powers that be]] chose a young woman, one girl in all the world to combat the forces of darkness. Upon her death, the power passed to another and another. Down over the millennia with each inheriting the power of her predecessor. The power of the Slayer.
* PoisonMushroom: Spiders like to hide in crates.
* PowerWalk: In the first game, the gang ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Spike]]) walking into the foundry after making a door with a molotov cocktail gets used in its version of the opening sequence as the group shot.
* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: The upgraded Reaper Blade can be used in this manner.
* PutOnABus: Oz doesn't make an appearance in the game, with the characters commenting that he's on tour with the Dingoes.
* RewardingVandalism: Destroying crates, furniture, '''headstones''' and the like will often reveal items, or makeshift stakes.
* ShoutOut: The game's music during quiet, investigative scenes resembles the library and Sedgewick Hotel music in ''Film/Ghostbusters1984''.
* ShownTheirWork: The amount of work put into the games is amazing.
* [[SniperRifle Sniper Crossbow]]: Buffy can zoom in on unaware vampires and score a OneHitKill from afar if she can listen to their heartbeat and nail them.
* StandardFemaleGrabArea: When Willow is taken from the Bronze early in the game, she's dragged around this way. Of course, this is back when she was a shy, bookish high school student with no magical training.
* StatusEffects: As you progress through the game vampires will have this ability to stun Buffy, which is kinda like the thrall powerful vampires like The Master and Drusilla have. Some demons have something similar.
* SuperDrowningSkills: Buffy, slayer of vampires, able to take on hordes of demons, clearly cannot swim.
* TemptingFate: Buffy does this at The Bronze. Xander doesn't even get to finish lambasting her for it before vampires attack.
* ThatCameOutWrong
--> '''Buffy:''' While everyone bones up on sigils and resurrection, I'll head over to the mansion and bone up on Angel... That ''so'' did not come out right.
* TitleSequence: After Giles gives a brief rundown of the plot we get a remade game version of the titles, although they goof in having the traditional PowerWalk and shot of Buffy switched around.
* TrickArrow: Buffy can trick out her crossbow bolts with Hellfire or Holy Water.
* TheVoiceless: Drusilla appears, but has no lines. Presumably they couldn't get Creator/JulietLandau or find a decent replacement.
* WakeUpCallBoss: Spike is the first major boss fight in the game. This is the first fight that really forces you to conserve your health elixirs and focus on tactics and Slayer powers. You might say that he is a... ''{{Difficulty|Spike}}'' [[JustForPun Spike]].
* WaxingLyrical:
** One of Buffy's one-liners is "[[Music/BritneySpears Oops, I did it again]]".
** One of the vampires [[Music/TheBeachBoys wishes they could all be California Girls]].
* WeakenedByTheLight: Due to the level in Angel's mansion taking place in daylight, the vampires Buffy encounters there can be easily dispatched by breaking open the boarded-up windows.
* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: SuperStrength is the only thing that saves Buffy from electrocution when she gets a little curious about a shorting out and sparking control panel. On the plus side the shock sending her through a window gets her exactly where she needs to go.
* WhoWritesThisCrap: Spike begins reading out an incantation to summon a demon, before turning to the vampires he's working for and asks who writes this dross.
* WrittenInAbsence: Oz does not appear in the first game even though it took place while he was still a member of the Scooby gang. It's {{Handwaved}} by Willow saying he's out of town with the rest of Dingos Ate My Baby at a gig.

* StandardStatusEffects: As you progress through the game vampires will have this ability to stun Buffy, which is kinda like the thrall powerful vampires like The Master and Drusilla have. Some demons have something similar.

* FinalDeath: At both ends of the spectrum. Some enemies (vampires for example) have to be staked or burned to be disposed on. Likewise, Buffy can survive with no energy, she dies from being bitten (vampires, spiders), slashed, some special death move, or long falls.

** When Spike makes his appearance Buffy is furious he went back on the deal they had in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E22Becoming Becoming]]".

* ADateWithRosiePalms: When playing as Faith in ''Chaos Bleeds'', she might allude to using stakes she finds as dildos.

* WaxingLyrical: One of Buffy's one-liners is "[[Music/BritneySpears Oops, I did it again]]".

* GuideDangIt: Finding your way through ''Chaos Bleeds'' is hell.
** The first level of the docks requires holy water. Unless you think to smash open the large crates to find a font you're kind of stuck. Buffy even {{lampshade|Hanging}}s being able to find it.
-->"Hello!"
* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: The beginning of the game has Giles put Buffy through basic training. ''Chaos Bleeds'' has the characters fend off an attack on The Magic Shop, with Giles, Anya, Tara and Buffy explaining the basics to the four main characters (save Faith, who plays the same as Buffy).

* RaisingTheSteaks: Zombie gorillas and penguins in ''Chaos Bleeds''.

* TitleSequence: After Giles gives a brief rundown of the plot we get a remade game version of the titles, although they goof in having the traditional PowerWalk and shot of Buffy switched around. Averted in ''Chaos Bleeds'', which goes directly to a shot of Creator/SarahMichelleGellar.

A video game for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} was released in 2002, featuring all the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' cast save Creator/SarahMichelleGellar, taking place between the third season episodes "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E7Revelations Revelations" and "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E8LoversWalk Lover's Walk]]" (the gang knows Angel's back, but Xander and Cordelia are still together). It centers on yet another bid to revive The Master, with Spike being forced to help because Dru is held hostage. It was followed by a sequel, ''[[VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayerChaosBleeds Chaos Bleeds]]'', which has slain foes BackFromTheDead as Ethan Rayne challenges The First Evil to a contest, using The Scoobies as his champions in a bid to become a chaotic god.

A video game for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} was released in 2002, featuring all the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' cast save Creator/SarahMichelleGellar, taking place between the third season episodes "Revelations" and "Lover's Walk" (the gang knows Angel's back, but Xander and Cordelia are still together). It centers on yet another bid to revive The Master, with Spike being forced to help because Dru is held hostage. It was followed by a sequel, ''[[VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayerChaosBleeds Chaos Bleeds]]'', which has slain foes BackFromTheDead as Ethan Rayne challenges The First Evil to a contest, using The Scoobies as his champions in a bid to become a chaotic god.

* BorrowedCatchphrase: In the alternate dimension Buffy has to find the other playable characters. Turns out Faith is chilling in a bank vault waiting to be rescued, and will use Willow's "Bored now" as Buffy does so. In ''this'' instance there no ominous foreshadowing, fight or FlayingAlive, Faith just wants out.
* BreakableWeapons: Most weapons have limited durability. Wooden weapons can be broken down into stakes, and stakes will eventually break as well.
* BuffySpeak: Naturally, in regards to crystals.
--> "A sparkly thingy, to add to my collection of sparkly thingies".

* {{Bookends}}: The central villains of the two games are respectively the key antagonists from the show's first and final seasons: the Master in the first game, and the First Evil in ''Chaos Bleeds''.

* ContinuityNod: Xander makes fun of Drusilla having the hots for him. Spike angrily replies it was due to the love spell he created when he wanted to get back at Cordelia.

** When Spike makes his appearance Buffy is furious he went back on the deal they had in ''Becoming.''.

* TheOtherDarrin: Creator/GiselleLoren performs the voice of Buffy (and Anya in Chaos Bleeds), where Kari Wahlgren fills in for Creator/AlysonHannigan in the second game.

* ShoutOut: The game's music during quiet, investigative scenes resembles the library and Sedgewick Hotel music in ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''.

* WrittenInAbsence: Oz does not appear in the first game even though it took place while he was still a member of the Scooby gang. It's {{Handwaved}} by Willow saying he's out of town with the rest of Dingos Ate My Baby at a gig.

* GameEngine: The games run on the same engine (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) as ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain: Soul Reaver'' and, all of them being vampire games, the game mechanics are virtually identical.

* BookEnd: The central villains of the two games are respectively the key antagonists from the show's first and final seasons: the Master in the first game, and the First Evil in ''Chaos Bleeds''.
* CallBack/CallForward: Loads and loads of them, from Spike flipping the V at Angel to Xander's love spell to Buffy freaking at the idea her mother will be [[CameBackWrong raised from the dead]] to Faith borrowing Willow's ''bored now'' CatchPhrase. When Cordelia goes on about Angel being evil Angel will address this, commenting on shouldering the crimes he had committed and trying to work towards redemption. This would be shown in greater detail when the two characters become the leads in Angel's show. Part of Spike's HeelFaceTurn is also due to him being as against the game's BigBad's plans as he was against Angelus unleashing Acathla to destroy the world.

* EldritchAbomination: Laibach of the Abyss

** The first level of the docks requires holy water. Unless you think to smash open the large crates to find a font you're kind of stuck. Buffy even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] being able to find it.

-->In a time when the world was young and demons ran unfettered across the face of the earth. [[RetCon The powers that be]] chose a young woman, one girl in all the world to combat the forces of darkness. Upon her death, the power passed to another and another. Down over the millennia with each inheriting the power of her predecessor. The power of the Slayer.

* PowerWalk: In the first game, the gang ([[AndZoidberg and Spike]]) walking into the foundry after making a door with a molotov cocktail gets used in its version of the opening sequence as the group shot.

* RaisingTheSteaks: Zombie gorillas and penguins in ''Chaos Bleeds.''

* TheOtherDarrin: Creator/GiselleLoren performs the voice of Buffy (and Anya in Chaos Bleeds), where Kari Wahlgren fills in for Creator/AlysonHannigan in the second game.

* {{Wake Up Call Boss}}: Spike is the first major boss fight in the game. This is the first fight that really forces you to conserve your health elixirs and focus on tactics and Slayer powers. You might say that he is a... ''[[DifficultySpike Difficulty]]'' [[IncrediblyLamePun Spike]].

* TheVoiceless: Strangely, [[CloudCuckoolander Drusilla]] does not have a single line of dialogue. The demon possessing her does though, and he's not about to take any of Spike's lip.

* TheOtherDarrin: Creator/GiselleLoren performs the voice of Buffy (and Anya in Chaos Bleeds), where Kari Wahlgren fills in for AlysonHannigan in the second game.

* TheOtherDarrin: Giselle Loren performs the voice of Buffy (and Anya in Chaos Bleeds), where Kari Wahlgren fills in for AlysonHannigan in the second game.

* GameEngine: The games run on the same engine (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) as VideoGame/LegacyOfKainSoulReaver and, all of them being vampire games, the game mechanics are virtually identical.

A video game for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} was released in 2002, featuring all the Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer cast save Creator/SarahMichelleGellar, taking place between the third season episodes "Revelations" and "Lover's Walk" (the gang knows Angel's back, but Xander and Cordelia are still together). It centers on yet another bid to revive The Master, with Spike being forced to help because Dru is held hostage. It was followed by a sequel, ''[[VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayerChaosBleeds Chaos Bleeds]]'', which has slain foes BackFromTheDead as Ethan Rayne challenges The First Evil to a contest, using The Scoobies as his champions in a bid to become a chaotic god.
----

* ADateWithRosiePalms: When playing as Faith in ''Chaos Bleeds'', she might allude to using stakes she finds as dildos.

* ShoutOut: The game's music during quiet, investigative scenes resembles the library and Sledgwick Hotel music in Film/{{Ghostbusters}}.

* WeakenedByTheLight: Due to the level in Angel's mansion taking place in daylight, the vampires Buffy encounters there can be easily dispatched by breaking ope the boarded-up windows.